Applicator



E. F. TILLEY Oct. 12, 1937.

APPLICATOR Filed July 7, 1934 EDWIN E TIME Y INVENTOF l A ORNEY Patented Oct. 12, 1937 UNITED STATS P TET OFFiiZ Claims.

The objects of this invention are to provide a simple and efiective device for applying or dispensing such materials as cleaning, washing or polishing liquids, or powders or combinations of 5 liquids and powders, and which will be of inexpensive construction, consist of but few easily assembled parts, be handy and convenient to use and which will be self-sealing against loss of liquid but ready for instant use.

'These and other desirable objects are attained by the novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and broadly covered in the claims.

The drawing illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, but it will be understood that the structure may be modified and changed from this particular disclosure, all within the true intent and broad scope of the claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a form of the invention employed as a holder and dispenser for a window Washing liquid or the like.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken plan view of the same. 7

Figs. 3 and 4 are broken sectional views illustrating the sealing and pumping features of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a broken sectional detail illustrating the method of assembling the parts.

Fig. 6 is a broken sectional detail of a modification.

The invention comprises a container which may be of any suitable form and size, depending to some extent on the uses of the device and a special applicator top-which serves both to seal the contents of the container and to effect a pumping dispensing of the same.

The container is shown as a glass jar 1, having a screw neck 8, by which the top may be connected.

The applicator top is shown as comprising a screw cap 9, having an open center ill, with a narrow annular rim or-fiange ll, overstanding the rim or edge of the container.

Within this cap there is confined a pad or cushion IZ, of cellular elastic material, such as sponge rubber.

This sponge rubber-like material originally is cut in the form of a disc, such as illustrated in Fig. 5, of somewhat larger diameter than-the cap,

the point of this being that when the disc is radially compressed into the cap of lesser diameter,

it will bulge naturallyout through the center of the cap after the manner indicated especially in Figs. land 3.

Back of the cellular pad is located a diaphragm shown in the form of a flat disc l3, perforated over a portion of its area as shown at it, leaving solid or imperforate portions l5, of appreciable area between the perforations.

For securing the perforated disc in place in the cap, a split sealing ring I6, is provided in the present illustration, the same being expanded beneath the internal shoulder or bead ll, in the cap to secure the diaphragm in position as in Figs. 3' and i, with said diaphragm clamping the peripheral portion of the sponge rubber disc against the annular flange ll! of the cap.

This internal shoulder may be a head at the beginning of the screw thread in the cap, substantially as indicated in Fig. 5.

The ring for securing the perforated disc and dispensing pad in place in the cap may be of springy or flexible material, so as to be readily expanded out into holding relation. It has been founddesirable to use a ring of lead for the purpose, since this can be readily spread or expanded out under the shoulder in the cap and because it readily seals in liquid tight engagement with the end of the container. A special point of this sealing is that the compressed rim portion it, of the pad confined beneath the flange ll, of the cap, if not fully compressed, may act as a resilient annular gasket or seat, yielding to permit the sealing ring it, to accurately adapt itself to the end of the jar or other container. This confined rim portion l8 may yield at any time as the cap is tightened on the jar, as for example, to take up wear on thesealing ring l6.

The sponge rubber when in the form as shown in Fig. 3, has the pores on the inside compressed, forming a seal that prevents the contents of the vessel from escaping and this seal is so effective as to prevent the passage of the liquid even when the vessel is turned upside down and shaken. When the bulging center portion of the pad is pressed against an object as in Fig. 4, the pad is forced back against the perforated diaphragm and the contained liquid squeezed out of the cells. As pressure against the object is released the inner pores of pad l 2 close; the space between the inner surface of pad 12 and diaphragm is fill with liquid and the device is ready to again repeat its pumping action. The air trapped in the vessel above the liquid operates as a cushion definitely aiding in this pumping action.

The device is particularly simple and inexpensive, the contents will not leak out when the device is not in use but the material may be utilized and applied wherever required, at any time, by

simply lightly pressing the bulging pumping portion of the sponge rubber against the object. This sponge rubber-like material has the capacity of passing powder as well as liquid, particularly when the powder is carried in some kind of a liquid. The invention therefore is suited to many different purposes.

Fig. 6 illustrates a form of the invention in which the lead-like washer is dispensed with by expanding the perforated diaphragm itself out into holding engagement in the cap. In this instance, the disc 53 is formed with a concaved rim portion l9, and this is faced with a tacky cement as indicated at 28. Upon application of heavy pressure, this arched portion of the disc is flattened out either wholly or only part, as indicated and expanded beneath the shoulder I l, in the cap and this compression also forces the cement into the flattened rim portion l8 of rubber, securely anchoring the latter. By only partially flattening the arched portion l9 as appears in the lower view of Fig. 6, the rubber is pocketed in the annular hollow which is left at 2|, which further positions and holds it in the cap.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a liquid container, an annular cap therefor, said cap having an inwardly extending annular confining rim flange and an open center, a disc of sponge rubber of largernormal diameter than said cap, said disc being radially compressed into said cap, into seated engagement about its periphery with said inwardly extending annular flange and bulging at the center through the open center of the cap and a flat diaphragm secured in said cap at the back of said pad clamping the peripheral portion of said pad against the annular confining rim of said cap and having alternate solid and perforate portions, the bulging center portion of the pad arching away from said diaphragm but compressible against the solid and perforate portions of the same.

2. An applicator package comprising an open container, a perforate disc over the mouth of said container and. a pad of sponge rubber having its entire peripheral portion held to the rim of said disc and its center portion bulged away therefrom to operate as a free porous member compressible against the solid and the perforate portions of said disc.

3. A device of the character disclosed, comprising a container having a wall with perforations therein and a pad of sponge rubber secured all about its edge in bulging relation over the perforated portion of said wall and providing between the bulging portion of the same and said perforated portion of the wall a space into which contents of the container may flow upon flexure of the bulging portion of said pad.

4. A device of the character disclosed, comprising a container having a screw neck, an open center cap screwed on said neck, a perforated disc held within said cap, a soft metal annular washer between the end of the container and said perforated disc and a pad of oversize sponge material compressed in said cap between the rim portion of the cap and the perforated disc and with the center portion of the same bulged through the open center of the cap away from the perforated diaphragm.

5. A device of the character disclosed, comprising a container and a cover therefor, including an open center cap provided with an internal shoulder, a stiff metallic perforated disc in said cap having an arched rim portion flattened sufliciently to enter into holding engagement behind said shoulder and a pad of sponge material clamped between the rim of the cap and said flattened rim portion of said disc and projecting through the open center portion of the cap.

EDWIN F. TILLEY. 

